LA County Animal Shelter Adoption Hours, Care Centers, Lost Pets, Fees, Licensing & Animal Control Help
Use official Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control resources to check animal care center hours, find the nearest LA County shelter, view adoptable dogs and cats, understand adoption fees, report lost or found pets, renew pet licenses, request animal services, learn spay/neuter and microchip rules, and avoid confusing LA County DACC with the City of Los Angeles Animal Services system.
If you are searching for la county animal shelter, choose the task closest to what you need. This finder points users to the correct official DACC route for adoption, center hours, lost pets, found pets, service requests, pet licensing, spay/neuter, microchips and LA County versus City of Los Angeles shelter confusion.
Choose one option. The official action card below updates for LA County adoption, hours, animal care centers, lost pets, found pets, service requests, licensing and adoption-fee questions.
🐶 Adopt a pet — start with official LA County DACC listings
Use this for: dogs, cats, rabbits, small pets, horses and other animals listed through LA County Department of Animal Care and Control.
Best official path: open DACC Adopt a Pet, search animals by care center, save the animal ID, then call or visit the correct animal care center during public hours.
Before you go: confirm the animal is at the right center. LA County has Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale care centers.
LA County Animal Shelter Quick Facts Before You Visit
Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, usually called LA County DACC, operates county animal care centers across Los Angeles County. DACC care centers provide adoptions, lost and found support, pet licensing, general pet assistance and animal-related services for DACC service areas.
The main user mistake is treating “LA County Animal Shelter” as one building. It is not one single shelter. LA County has multiple animal care centers, and the correct center depends on where the animal is housed or where the animal service issue happened. Always verify the animal ID, care center name, center address and service area before driving.
What This LA County Animal Shelter Guide Covers
LA County Animal Shelter Hours, Adoption Visits and Sunday/Holiday Service Limits
LA County DACC animal care centers and related services are generally open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These public-service hours include adoptions, lost and found animals, animal licensing and general pet assistance.
On Sundays and holidays, DACC lists limited services. The animal care centers are closed for public viewing, but they continue to admit stray animals to protect animal and public safety, reunite lost pets with families and process Adoption Partner placements. That means Sunday is not a normal browsing day for adopters.
Monday–Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Includes adoptions, lost/found, licensing and general pet assistance.
Limited services only.
Centers are closed for public viewing, but still handle critical stray, reunion and partner-placement work.
Confirm the animal care center name, animal ID, holiday schedule and service availability before driving.
Service calls such as dog bite, stray dog and similar officer-dispatch needs must be called into DACC Communication Centers.
LA County Animal Care Centers: Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale
LA County DACC operates a network of animal care centers. The animal’s listed care center matters because Los Angeles County is large, and the wrong center can waste hours. A pet shown at Lancaster will not be available for viewing at Downey. A lost pet housed at Carson/Gardena will not be reclaimed at Palmdale unless DACC specifically tells you otherwise.
Baldwin Park Animal Care Center
4275 North Elton Street, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
Open Baldwin Park CenterCarson/Gardena Animal Care Center
216 West Victoria Street, Gardena, CA 90248
Open Carson/Gardena CenterSanta Clarita Valley Animal Care Center
31044 North Charlie Canyon Road, Castaic, CA 91384
Open Santa Clarita Valley CenterUse the official Animal Care Centers page when you are not sure which care center is closest or which center has the animal.
Open All Care CentersHow to Adopt a Pet From LA County Animal Care and Control
The safest adoption workflow is to start with LA County DACC’s official Adopt a Pet page, search animals, confirm the animal care center, save the animal ID and visit during public service hours. Rescue shares and social media posts can help spread visibility, but DACC controls current animal status, fees, care-center location and adoption rules.
Good adoption planning is not just clicking a cute photo. Ask about the animal’s age, temperament notes, medical notes, sterilization status, vaccines, microchip, licensing needs, adoption promotion and whether any hold or partner placement affects availability.
Search official DACC adoption resources first
Open the LA County DACC Adopt a Pet page and view current animals. Save the animal ID, name, species, sex, estimated age, care center and photo.
Confirm the care center before driving
LA County has seven care centers. Confirm whether the pet is at Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster or Palmdale.
Visit during public adoption hours
Normal public services are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays and holidays are limited and closed for public viewing.
Review the full cost before adopting
Ask about the base adoption fee, sterilization fee, microchip fee, license fee, pain medication, registration and any discount or promotion.
Prepare for the first week at home
Bring a leash or carrier, prepare food and supplies, schedule a veterinary follow-up, update microchip registration and keep the pet calm while it decompresses.
LA County Animal Shelter Adoption Fees and What to Verify
LA County DACC lists a base adoption fee of $50 if an animal has been in care ten days or less. If the animal has been in care more than ten days, the base adoption fee is $30. This base fee does not always equal the final total you pay.
In addition to the adoption fee, DACC lists a sterilization fee of $50 for a dog and $40 for a cat. The microchip fee is listed as $7.50, and DACC notes this does not include the registration fee in the national chip database. Dog or cat license fees can also be mandatory depending on where the adopter lives.
10 days or less in care: $50.
More than 10 days in care: $30.
Verify the animal’s current status before visiting.
Dog: $50.
Cat: $40.
Ask how this applies to the specific animal.
Listed microchip fee: $7.50.
National database registration may be separate.
Licensing, pain medication and local jurisdiction rules can affect the final amount.
Ask for a full total before committing.
Before paying any LA County adoption fee
- Confirm the animal is still available and located at the listed DACC center.
- Ask whether the animal has been in care more or less than ten days.
- Ask whether sterilization is already complete or still part of the adoption process.
- Ask about microchip registration and local pet license requirements.
- Ask whether any current adoption promotion or discount applies.
- Ask what medical and vaccine records you will receive.
How to View LA County Adoptable Dogs, Cats and Shelter Animals Online
DACC’s official website includes a View Our Animals route and Adopt a Pet resources. Use those first because third-party pages may show old photos, outdated center names or incomplete status information.
Online listings are not reservations. A listed animal can be adopted, reclaimed, transferred, moved for medical treatment, processed with an Adoption Partner, placed on limited availability or removed after you last checked. For one specific animal, save the animal ID and call the correct center before driving.
Confirm the Center
Make sure the animal is at the correct LA County center, not another DACC location or City of LA shelter.
Avoid wrong tripSave the Animal ID
Use the animal ID when calling. Staff can help faster when you provide the exact listing details.
Faster helpLA County Lost Pets, Shelter Search and Same-Day Action Steps
If your pet is missing in a DACC service area, act immediately. DACC’s lost-pet resources advise contacting local animal shelters and checking within a wide nearby area. Do not rely only on one online search or one social post.
Breed labels, color descriptions and photos can be wrong or incomplete. A scared pet may look different in a shelter photo, and not every found animal appears online instantly. Search official DACC resources, contact the right care center and visit in person when your pet may be there.
Use DACC lost-pet and care-center tools first. Check repeatedly because listings can change quickly.
Use the animal care center page for the center where your pet may have been taken, and provide photos or identifying details.
Call your microchip company and update phone, email and address immediately.
Go to the likely care center during regular public hours if your pet may be there.
Lost pet steps that actually help
- Search LA County DACC lost-pet resources and current animal listings.
- Contact the care center closest to where the pet was lost.
- Check surrounding shelters because pets can cross jurisdiction lines.
- Update microchip and license contact information immediately.
- Post clear photos with last-seen cross streets, date and safe contact details.
- Visit in person when your pet may be at a care center.
- Watch for scams. Verify directly with DACC before paying anyone who claims to have your pet.
Found a Pet in LA County? Check Tags, Scan for a Chip and Use the DACC Route
If you found a dog or cat in a DACC service area, do not assume the animal has no owner. Check for a collar and tag if safe, call or text any number on the tag, ask nearby neighbors and have the animal scanned for a microchip at a DACC animal care center, veterinary clinic or pet supply store when safe.
If the found animal is sick, injured, aggressive, trapped or unsafe, do not try to handle the animal yourself. DACC’s official route should be used for urgent animal safety matters, and immediate human danger should be handled through emergency services.
Look for a tag, collar, phone number, license or other identification if it is safe to do so.
Use a DACC center, veterinarian or other safe microchip scanning option when possible.
Use the official found-pet page and care-center guidance for owner-reunion steps.
Do not handle aggressive, injured or frightened animals yourself. Use official service-request or emergency routing.
LA County Animal Control, Service Requests, Dog Bites and Emergency Animal Help
LA County DACC’s Service Request page can be used for suspected animal abuse or neglect, stray animal concerns, non-emergency dog bites and dead animal pickup. DACC also states that if animal abuse is in progress or an emergency situation is happening, users should call 911 immediately.
DACC warns that online requests should not be used for sick or injured animals because delay could create risk. For sick or injured animal concerns, use DACC’s Communication Center route. DACC contact guidance also notes that calls requesting service, such as dog bites or stray dogs, must be called into Communication Centers to have an officer dispatched.
Suspected animal abuse or neglect, stray animal concerns, non-emergency dog bites and dead animal pickup.
Sick or injured animals should be handled through DACC Communication Center contact because delays can be dangerous.
If abuse is in progress, people are in immediate danger or an emergency is happening, call 911.
Dog bites should be reported promptly to DACC if you live within DACC service area or to County Public Health as applicable.
Use official DACC routing for these issues
- Stray animal concerns in DACC service areas.
- Non-emergency dog bite reporting.
- Suspected animal abuse or neglect.
- Dead animal pickup.
- Sick or injured animals requiring faster phone routing.
- Dangerous dog or public-safety concerns.
- Field service requests that require officer dispatch.
LA County Pet Licensing, Microchip, Rabies and Spay/Neuter Rules
LA County DACC licensing guidance says pets must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed where required. The County of Los Angeles also requires dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered and microchipped in covered areas. Reduced license fees may be available for spayed and neutered pets, seniors and disabled veterans.
Los Angeles County Code rules can vary depending on whether you live in unincorporated Los Angeles County or a contract city that has adopted certain ordinances. This is why users should not copy a fee or rule from another city without checking DACC’s licensing page and their own jurisdiction.
DACC provides pet licensing and renewal resources, including an online payment portal for license renewals.
Dogs four months or older must be vaccinated for rabies under California law; DACC licensing materials also recommend rabies vaccination for cats.
Los Angeles County Code requires dogs and cats to be microchipped in covered areas.
Unincorporated LA County requires dogs and cats older than four months to be spayed or neutered unless an exemption applies.
LA County pet-owner checklist
- Keep rabies vaccination current.
- Keep pet license current where required.
- Spay or neuter dogs and cats when your jurisdiction requires it.
- Microchip dogs and cats and keep contact details updated.
- Check whether your city is a DACC contract city or uses a different animal services agency.
- Use the official DACC licensing and payment pages before paying third-party sites.
LA County Animal Shelter vs City of Los Angeles Animal Services
This is the biggest confusion point for the search phrase “la county animal shelter.” LA County DACC and City of Los Angeles Animal Services are not the same agency. LA County DACC operates county animal care centers such as Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale. The City of Los Angeles has its own municipal animal services system.
Wrong agency means wrong shelter, wrong phone number, wrong reclaim process, wrong licensing route and wrong service-request path. Before filing a report or driving to a shelter, confirm whether the location is in DACC service territory, City of Los Angeles service territory or another local jurisdiction.
DACC care centers, county adoption, DACC lost/found, DACC licensing, DACC service requests and DACC contract-city or unincorporated-area animal services.
Animal services inside the City of Los Angeles when City of LA is the correct jurisdiction.
Search the official agency page, care center address and animal ID before visiting.
“Los Angeles” in a search result does not automatically mean LA County DACC. Confirm the official site.
Official LA County Animal Shelter, Adoption, Licensing and Animal Control Links
Use these official resources first. This protects users from old addresses, wrong city/county shelter pages, copied pet photos, expired adoption specials, guessed fees and third-party pages that do not control LA County DACC operations.
🏠 LA County Animal Care
Main DACC website for county animal care centers, adoption, lost/found, licensing and animal services.
Open DACC Home📍 Animal Care Centers
Official list of LA County animal care centers and center-specific pages.
Open Care Centers🐾 Adopt a Pet
Official adoption information, base fees, microchip notes, sterilization fees and adoption process guidance.
Open Adopt a Pet📋 Adoption Process
DACC visitation and adoption hours, Sunday/holiday limits and care center adoption process details.
Open Adoption Process🔎 Lost a Pet
Official lost-pet guidance and shelter search steps for DACC service areas.
Open Lost Pet Help📌 Found a Pet
Official found-pet guidance, owner-reunion steps and safe handling reminders.
Open Found Pet Help🏷️ Pet Licensing
Official pet license information, renewal route, rabies note, microchip and spay/neuter rule guidance.
Open Licensing🚨 Service Request
Official DACC service request route for non-emergency concerns, abuse/neglect reports, stray concerns and dead animal pickup.
Open Service Request☎️ Contact DACC
Communication Center and contact information for animal availability, officer dispatch and service routing.
Open Contact PageLA County Animal Shelter Map: Search Official DACC Animal Care Centers Near You
Because LA County Animal Shelter is a network, not one building, use the official DACC Animal Care Centers page first. The map below uses a safe Google Maps search for LA County Animal Care and Control centers. Always confirm the exact center page and animal ID before driving.
LA County Animal Care and Control Centers
Search focus: Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale animal care centers.
LA County Animal Shelter FAQs
What is the official LA County animal shelter agency?
The official county agency is the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, also called LA County DACC. It operates multiple animal care centers across Los Angeles County.
What are LA County Animal Shelter adoption hours in 2026?
LA County DACC animal care centers are generally open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for adoptions, lost and found, licensing and general pet assistance. Sundays and holidays have limited services and are closed for public viewing.
How many LA County animal care centers are there?
LA County DACC lists seven animal care centers: Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale.
Is LA County Animal Shelter the same as City of Los Angeles Animal Services?
No. LA County DACC and City of Los Angeles Animal Services are different agencies. Confirm the jurisdiction and official shelter page before filing a report, reclaiming a pet or visiting a shelter.
How much are LA County animal shelter adoption fees?
DACC lists a base adoption fee of $50 if the animal has been in care ten days or less and $30 if the animal has been in care more than ten days. Additional sterilization, microchip, license, registration or medication fees may apply.
What are the LA County dog and cat sterilization fees?
DACC lists the sterilization fee as $50 for a dog and $40 for a cat. Always ask the care center how the fee applies to the specific animal.
What is the LA County animal shelter microchip fee?
DACC lists the microchip fee as $7.50 and notes that it does not include the registration fee in the national chip database.
What should I do if my pet is lost in LA County?
Search DACC lost-pet resources, contact nearby care centers, check surrounding shelters, update microchip and license contact details, post clear photos, and visit the likely care center in person during public hours.
What should I do if I found a pet in LA County?
Check for tags if safe, scan for a microchip, use DACC found-pet guidance, contact the correct care center and request official help if the animal is injured, sick, aggressive or unsafe.
How do I report an animal control issue in LA County?
Use DACC’s official Service Request page for non-emergency issues such as suspected abuse or neglect, stray animal concerns, non-emergency dog bites and dead animal pickup. For abuse in progress or emergency situations, call 911.
Does LA County require pet licenses?
DACC provides pet licensing for covered areas, and failure to vaccinate or license a dog or cat may result in fines or penalties. Requirements can vary by jurisdiction, so check the official DACC licensing page.
Does LA County require dogs and cats to be microchipped?
LA County Code requires dogs and cats to be microchipped in covered areas. Keep the microchip registration updated when your phone number or address changes.
Does LA County require spay or neuter?
Los Angeles County Code requires residents of unincorporated LA County to have dogs and cats older than four months spayed or neutered unless an exemption applies. Some contract cities also adopt similar rules.
Best Way to Use LA County Animal Shelter in 2026
The best path is simple: use official LA County DACC resources first, confirm the correct animal care center, save the animal ID, visit Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for normal public services, and use the official DACC service request or contact route for animal-control issues.
For the focus keyword la county animal shelter, this guide covers the full user intent: adoption hours, animal care centers, adoptable animals, adoption fees, lost pets, found pets, service requests, dog bites, licensing, microchips, spay/neuter rules, LA County versus City of LA confusion, map and official links. That is the difference between a useful county shelter page and a thin article that only repeats one shelter name.
Important Notice: This article is an independent informational guide and is not Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, any LA County animal care center, City of Los Angeles Animal Services, a veterinarian, law enforcement, a rescue group, or a legal authority. Adoption availability, shelter hours, center operations, holiday schedules, service request routing, pet licensing rules, adoption fees, microchip rules, spay/neuter requirements and animal-control procedures can change. Always verify urgent or official matters directly with LA County DACC, emergency services, or the appropriate official agency before acting.